


The Perils of Observation

by walking_through_autumn



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon - Anime, Canon Compliant, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 21:30:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1111730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walking_through_autumn/pseuds/walking_through_autumn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin had to look away when the boy’s expression changed from excitement to confusion, and finally to horror. More than the woman wailing over her son’s death and their captain’s cry of despair and defeat, it was the boy’s face that would haunt his mind. </p>
<p>Written for the SnK Kink Meme, for a prompt with Erwin noticing Eren among the crowd (first episode/chapter), remembering him, and keeping an eye over him during trainee days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perils of Observation

**Author's Note:**

> As part of closing the old year and starting the new, here's one of the fics posted for SnK Kink Meme that hasn't been posted here. 
> 
> Gen, focus on Erwin, Levi, and Eren. Basically Erwin being overly curious, Levi being drawn in against his will, and Eren being oblivious to it all. 
> 
> Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

1.

The first thing he noticed about the boy was how startlingly bright his eyes were. The girl next to him looked cautious, and she was quicker than the boy to pick up on the atmosphere. Her dark eyes flicked from Erwin to the boy beside her. In the afternoon light his eyes had a gold tint to them. It was mesmerizing – or perhaps Erwin simply needed to think of something other than their crushing failure. They were two of the few children there, and nobody else was as excited as the boy was.

Erwin had to look away when the boy’s expression changed from excitement to confusion, and finally to horror. More than the woman wailing over her son’s death and their captain’s cry of despair and defeat, it was the boy’s face that would haunt his mind.

2.

The training grounds, to Erwin, was a place of nostalgia and – not exactly relaxation, but it _was_ a break from the grind of paperwork and planning. It was a place filled with noise as the trainees struggled to become soldiers, war cries and dull thumps of collisions with the ground and the trees.

The 104th training squad was being put through the first of the maneuver gear work – aiming, shooting, and pulling themselves in different directions, with the hope that they will land on their feet and not in some awkward position. Already there were those curled in pain on the ground from one too many collisions with tree trunks. Keith Shadis, merciless as always, barked at them to pick their asses off the ground.

There were some promising cadets. A girl with short black hair – _why does she seem so familiar?_ – had completed her exercises and was coaching a blond boy through his. A short boy with the grin of a prankster was fooling around, competing with another cadet – _potato girl_ , Keith Shadis had grumbled – to see who could fly fastest and furthest. Then there were those slowly getting the hang of it. A boy lifted his head, scowling at the tree just ahead of him as though willing himself to be there by sheer determination, and Erwin felt a jolt go through him when eyes glinted gold.

They were narrow, fierce, grown in a way the face that had haunted Erwin’s nightmares from two years ago weren’t. But unmistakably the same boy, grown lanky now. He was a little off balance when he flew and he made a face again, looking for his next target.

He was still a child. They were still children. Had Erwin been so young when he had first enlisted? So naïve? A wave of horror washed over him, and with practice he pushed it away. If he gave in now he would never be able to envision the end of this century-long war. Then there was…relief, if mingled with guilt. So their failed expedition hadn’t done enough to crush the boy’s admiration of the Scouting Legion.

It was only later when he obtained the cadets’ information from Shadis that he learnt the boy’s name, his family background ( _Mother, Carla Jaegar: deceased in the breach of Wall Maria, 845; Father: Grisha Jaegar: missing_ ), and knew that it was more than admiration that had pushed Eren Jaegar into joining the military.

3.

Very few understood the reasons behind his actions. But they trusted him anyway. Erwin was willing to use that to his advantage to persuade Levi to keep an eye on the cadets. Particularly on Jaegar.

Levi’s frown of perplexity was a sight to behold. And Levi being Levi, he made his displeasure obvious in his eyes even as he agreed.

His first report came a week after, when he stalked into Erwin’s office like he owned the place and sat on the couch. Before Erwin could say anything, Levi said, “He’s fucking hopeless. They’re all fucking hopeless.” After a pause, he said, grudgingly, “Except maybe Ackerman. She’ll probably live.”

Erwin hummed and made a motion for Levi to go on. With his other hand he signed his approval for a maintenance check on the gear.

Levi launched into his tirade, arms crossed and all. “He can keep up with the exercises. Better than Arlelt at any rate. But he’s gonna fucking kill someone with the way he uses the gear. A _horse_ in a gear would have better balance. And he’s getting his ass handed to him everything he spars with Leonhart. And her moves are predictable as shit – she’s probably feeling sorry for him. She should, he’s a damn slow learner.”

Erwin hummed again and interpreted that as “Eren Jaegar is surviving, he’s getting the hang of the gear, and he might become one of the best at hand-to-hand combat, if still weaker than Leonhart, who is a monster on another level”.

Levi scowled. If at the beginning he was willing, if reluctant, to follow Erwin’s orders, one week of observation pushed him to say, “I don’t get why you’re doing this, Erwin. It’s a waste of time. There’s nothing special about the brat or any of the others.”

Erwin wondered what impulse had pushed him to be concerned over the boy too. Not concern, not really – perhaps a lingering sense of guilt toward those they had failed, which he focused on the boy who had much too high hopes for the military.

To Levi, he said, “Call it a hunch, if you will.”

Levi muttered something under his breath, likely something unsavoury about Erwin, Jaegar, or a combination of the two. With one last glare, he stood up and stalked out of the office, his exit as sudden as his arrival.

Erwin did feel bad that he was using one of his best soldiers for observation work. But that feeling wasn’t strong enough for him to stop.

4.

One and a half months later, after an expedition ( _30% of soldiers dead, 58% of remaining soldiers with severe injury_ ), Levi came into his office and sat down. His movements were cautious – Erwin knew Levi hadn’t sustained any serious injury, but perhaps he had strained himself more than he should have. Levi’s squad had been put in charge of the more dangerous scouting work. None of his men had survived.

He wondered if the shadow under Levi’s eyes, darker than usual, were a result of his hidden injuries or the regret he never showed to anyone. Not even Erwin. But then Erwin was in no position to judge.

He kept signing papers ( _notifications to the family of the deceased soldiers, reports to the Crown of the expedition’s results_ ) and Levi sat there, breathing steadily, looking out of the window.

After a long wait, by which time Erwin was almost done with all the paperwork, Levi said, “The brats finished their week-long camp.” A camp and trek for endurance, teamwork, and an overall improvement of physical strength. “They looked like shit. Probably smelt worse.”

Another pause, during which Erwin could only hear both their breathing. Then Levi said, “They’re such brats.”

Not for the first time, Erwin closed his eyes and thought, _they’re so young_. He wondered how many didn’t survive the camp. Levi continued, “He’s not only hopeless, he’s also dumb as fuck. Flying around with the maneuver gear right after the camp. He’s a fucking hazard.”

So the boy was determined to the point where he’d train even after an arduous camp. Erwin supposed the boy was anxious – they did not use the gear during the camp, after all. Looking at the frown on Levi’s face, Erwin tapped his pen on the desk and said, “Perhaps we should advise Keith to enforce a break after the trainee camp?”

Levi scoffed and folded his arms. “Do what you want, I don’t care,” he said.

_Perhaps_ , Erwin thought with a small smile, taking note of the way the worry lines around Levi’s eyes and mouth lightened a little.

5.

Nothing significant happened for over a year. Erwin devised and introduced the long-distance expedition formation, death rates dropped, morale increased, Levi continued insulting Jaegar with everything he could think of. Then he marched into Erwin’s office one afternoon, face pinched, shoulders tensed.

“That brat,” he said, “is really a hazard. Him and those around him.”

Erwin frowned and sat up straighter. “Tell me.”

Levi would have even without Erwin’s prompt. “Mid-air collision. An idiot couldn’t control his gear properly and smashed into the brat. The brat had to get stitches.” A pause. “Hopeless cases, all of them.”

Erwin sighed with relief. If Eren had gotten stitches that meant his injury wouldn’t be beyond recovery. “He’ll be alright then?” he asked, just for confirmation.

Levi waved a hand impatiently. “The doctors are not incompetent. He’ll live. He’d better.” Levi scowled, drummed his fingers on Erwin’s table.

Erwin observed Levi for a while, the way his shoulders were still tensed even after they both know Jaegar would be fine, that this was just a (painful) part of trainee life. As though it was an off-hand comment, he said, “You know, Levi. If you want to stop this…observation, you could say so.”

Levi stopped drumming his fingers on the table and looked over at him, incredulity written all over his face. “You say this after a fucking year and a half?”

Erwin shrugged. “I don’t want you to feel you have to.”

Levi narrowed his eyes and stared at Erwin for a long, long time. Erwin did not look away. “Is that an order?” Levi asked in a flat tone.

“It’s a question,” Erwin said.

Levi’s frown deepened and he turned away, hissed, “You’re an idiot, Erwin Smith.” When he walked out of the office he slammed the door close harder than needed.

Erwin did not try to hide his smile.

6.

When the urgent call to return was relayed to Levi and his team, Erwin knew, by the way Levi’s eyes flickered, that he was remembering their march out, Eren’s excitement when he had spotted Captain Levi, Humanity’s Strongest, the trainees cleaning and maintaining the wall. Erwin pushed his horse hard and Levi’s horse galloped alongside his, focused, and Erwin knew they were only thinking of getting there a minute, even just a second faster.

It turned out a second faster was all they needed to save Armin Arlelt, Mikasa Ackerman, and Eren Jaegar from being swallowed by titans.

After the clean-up, Erwin watched as Levi hovered near the kids. Eren was still unconscious, supported by Armin and Mikasa, and Levi wasn’t saying anything but he kept a sharp lookout over them. Looking at Eren, knowing the story, Erwin thought, _I didn’t expect the hunch to turn out like this_.

After the military police turned up and took Eren into custody, Levi sent Erwin a look, demanding and pissed, and Erwin nodded.

They would do whatever it took.

7.

The first time they actually spoke to Eren, they were in a cold, damp underground cell. Levi was not best pleased with the environment. Even so, he stood beside Erwin and waited as Eren dreamed.

Eren jumped into wakefulness – _what had he seen in his dreams_ , Erwin wondered. He turned the key around and around in his hand, mind racing with questions. But the first thing they needed to do was confirm Eren’s intentions. They have started a plan, Mike, Hanji, Levi, and himself. But they could not do anything until they had spoken to Eren.

Strictly speaking, only he had to be here. When he had been granted access, the soldier had glanced nervously at Levi, who had walked beside Erwin. Levi was Levi, there was no stopping him.

Eren’s eyes were wide, confused. Erwin did feel sorry for him – so much had happened in just a few days – yet beyond his sympathy he was driven by a sense of urgency.

So much could change.

Perhaps Levi felt the same. He shifted against the wall, demanded Eren to not waste anymore time, and when Eren replied –

Despite the confusion, the worry, the years of training and hardship, the fall of Wall Maria, Erwin looked at Eren’s eyes and thought a mild shiver running down his spine, _Ah, that’s the boy I saw five years ago_.

In the damp underground cell, as Levi stalked forward and claimed responsibility for Eren – as though he hadn’t already done so since he started observing the boy in his trainee days – Erwin smiled and thought,

_This is our declaration of war._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are much appreciated :)


End file.
